måndag 31 augusti 2009

Do You Also Want To Go Away?

God has brought us to a crossroads again - a point of decision. He has been leading us a narrow way for many years and again we are at a crossroads with a clear decision to make.

John 6:53-5853 Then Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. 54 Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. 55 For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. 56 He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. 57 As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me. NKJV

John 6:60-61Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard this, said, "This is a hard saying; who can understand it?" 61 When Jesus knew in Himself that His disciples complained about this, He said to them, "Does this offend you? NKJV

John 6:66-6966 From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more. 67 Then Jesus said to the twelve, "Do you also want to go away?" 68 But Simon Peter answered Him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69 Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." NKJV

There is a choice to be made. Will we choose to partake of Him with the revelation that flows from the Living Word when its sole objective is to offend and kill our flesh? Will we? He intends to challenge the contradiction that exists in us - the contradictions within us that are antagonistic to Christ being formed in us. Or will we choose to walk away? Will we choose to eat His flesh and drink His blood, thereby abiding in Him and He in me? (John 6:56) Or will we choose to walk away? Many choose to follow - many of us. We are daily being emptied in order to be filled with Him - the simplicity of who He is, Christ Jesus. We look from where we have come from. We look at where we are. We look to where we are going. And we answer in humility, knowing that He has deliberately brought us to this place to choose Him, freely and wholly giving ourselves to His will and His ways. We, like Peter, answer simply and profoundly.

John 6:68-6968 But Simon Peter answered Him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69 Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." NKJV

Again, there is that divine tension within us - knowing that there is nothing back there for any of us. Religion, man's wisdom and agendas, programs and conferences and so much stuff - all seems empty and devoid of true life in Christ in comparison to where we stand and where He has brought us. Yet the divine tension requires us to count the cost - to say "Yes!" to Him with no strings attached. Simply "Yes!" We turn, face Him, and say:

John 6:6868 But Simon Peter answered Him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. NKJV

The divine tension of God is calling us forward by His Spirit, calling us to yield our will to Him and trust Him in all things. This tension exists within us because God has seen fit to bring us to this place. It exists not because we don't want to go forward but because we do want to go forward. We have been brought to this point not by chance but by divine strategy. We continued, day by day, to say "Yes" to Him and follow in obedience. That path of obedience lead us to where we stand today. Each time He takes us deeper, He brings us to the point of choosing to go further down a narrow path with Him. We are brought to this point clear and sober to make the choice that He requires. Do we want all that He has for us? It will cost us everything. The path is narrow. We lose our life to find our life - yet it is worth it. There is no turning back now. We have come this far and it is all worth it. What will you do? Don't answer rashly, emotionally, or naively. Look at Him - what will you do? What will you answer?

John 6:66-6966 From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more. 67 Then Jesus said to the twelve, "Do you also want to go away?" 68 But Simon Peter answered Him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69 Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." NKJV